NewsThe Year in Review 2019
From trafficked treasures to the ravages of climate change: the heritage headlines of 2019
We look back at the biggest stories of the year
NewsRestitution
George Soros's Open Society Foundations pledges $15m to help Africa recover looted heritage
Paid over four years, it will support efforts made by museums, grassroots-organisations and governments
NewsArt market
Abuse of diplomatic privilege? How missing art has been linked to embassy officials
Recent cases involving stolen art have raised questions over the behaviour of diplomats
NewsLooted art
Looted coffin acquired by Metropolitan Museum is headed back to Egypt
US and Egyptian officials presided over handover at a repatriation ceremony in New York
NewsRestitution
German Nazi loot panel divided on Max Stern painting—but returns it to his heirs anyway
For first time, advisory team stipulates that work must not be sold for ten years in case evidence emerges that contradicts its ruling
NewsSmuggling
Stolen artefacts from 'prolific art smuggler' returned to India
Objects are reportedly linked to antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor who is facing criminal charges in the US
NewsLooted art
US authorities file criminal charges against antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor and seven others
The government’s complaint outlines a massive alleged smuggling ring involving other dealers, art restorers and associates who helped create false provenances for looted objects
NewsNazi loot
Mass theft of art from East German citizens revealed in new report
Study reveals that up to 8% of museum acquisitions were looted from private citizens
NewsNazi loot
Court case over three Derain paintings will test France's promise to speed up Nazi-era claims
Grandchildren of art dealer René Gimpel accuse French culture ministry of blocking restitution of works hanging in state museums
NewsLaw
US Supreme Court declines to hear appeal on Nazi-looted art
Norton Simon Museum can keep two Lucas Cranach masterpieces
NewsLooting
Heirs of Baron Herzog continue battle for Nazi-looted art collection despite US Supreme Court dismissal
Decades-long case to reclaim works held in Hungary’s museums will now go through US District Court
NewsUkraine
Ivan the Terrible returns to Ukraine
19th-century oil painting, stolen during the Second World War, was found in the US
NewsAustria
Austria returns wrong Klimt to wrong family
Painting of apple trees is pulled from exhibition after admission that its restitution was a mistake
NewsLooting
President Rouhani personally takes looted ancient relief back from New York to Tehran
Piece depicting a Persian soldier was seized last year at Tefaf New York
InterviewLooted art
Meet the amateur art sleuth who is helping India recover its stolen antiques
Shipping company executive S. Vijay Kumar was responsible for recovering a Buddha stolen from India 57 years ago among many other looted works
NewsLooted art
Looted Renoir is returned to French heir in New York
Granddaughter of Jewish collector flies in for restitution ceremony
NewsLaw
Court rejects claim to Matisse owned by National Gallery
Rebuffing heirs, an appeals panel in New York says the court lacks jurisdiction
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
Starry Night is held by Russian government
Van Gogh drawing had been folded in half in 1945 to fit inside a suitcase
NewsLucas Cranach the Elder
Goudstikker heir files petition for rare rehearing of Cranach claim
Marei von Saher asks an appeals court in California to reconsider her case against the Norton Simon Museum
ReviewBooks
The tortuous story of Gustav Klimt’s Nazi-looted, 100ft-wide Beethoven Frieze uncovered
New book exploring work's provenance is a must-read for those interested in the contentious field of art restitution
NewsRestitution
Angola recovers six artefacts looted from museum during civil war
Dundo Museum's lost objects were traced by the Sindika Dokolo Foundation
NewsCultural policy
UK permits Nazi-looted Meissen figure to leave for Japan despite spoliation claim
There appear to be no winners in what the Arts Council refers to as an “extremely unusual” case
NewsLooted art
Berlin’s Ethnological Museum returns Alaskan grave artefacts looted by explorer
The objects “do not belong in our museums”, says the president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
NewsLooted art
Hamburg museum says its Benin bronzes could return to Nigeria—but not yet
Applied arts institution is showing the sculptures in a looted art exhibition
NewsRestitution
Damning report says France must catch up, fast, in return of Nazi-era loot
Heritage expert calls for new government taskforce to guide provenance research and even rule on restitution cases
NewsRestitution
German researchers trace Jewish newspaper mogul’s vast Nazi-looted art collection
The Mosse Art Research Project, a cooperation with the German government, identifies eight works and launches online database
NewsLooting
Will the British Museum lend Nigeria the Benin bronzes?
Planned museum in Benin City offers safe environment for Western collections, the country says
NewsLooting
Scotland Yard joins global crackdown on looted pharaonic antiquities
The initiative, which involves governments and the art world, will set up a public database of objects
NewsLooted art
Germany to fund museum investigations into provenance of colonial-era artefacts
The German Lost Art Foundation, which also looks into Nazi-loot, will allocate the government grants
News
Louvre shines a light on Nazi loot
Museum hopes to find rightful heirs through display of spoliated works
NewsRestitution
Germany names new head of Nazi-looted art panel
Hans-Jürgen Papier fills post held by Jutta Limbach until her death last year
NewsOpenings
Washington's new $500m Museum of the Bible claims 'non-sectarian' mission
Private institution is funded by evangelical Hobby Lobby chairman, Steve Green
NewsLooted art
Düsseldorf abruptly cancels exhibition about Jewish dealer Max Stern
City authorities cite ongoing restitution claims as reason for decision
NewsLooted art
Painting looted from Hitler to be auctioned in Cologne
Van Ham to offer Franz von Stuck portrait in 17 November sale
NewsRestitution
Painting in Gurlitt hoard identified as Nazi loot—thanks to a tiny repair hole
Portrait by Thomas Couture belonged to a French politician who opposed the Nazis
NewsLooted art
Islamic State's looting of antiquities is rising but hard facts remain scarce
Experts question the reported size of illicit trade, particularly as the number of fake artefacts increases
BlogIn the frame
Draw your own conclusions
Fill in the blanks of art crimes solved and unsolved with two new adult colouring books
InterviewAnne Webber
How can museums speed up the return of art looted during the Nazi era?
Conference at London's National Gallery this week looks at how the process can be accelerated
CommentLeaders
Gilded coffin gives Met a golden opportunity
To prevent similar high-profile losses in the future, the Met should hire a permanent, full-time provenance curator
Rick St. Hilaire